1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for holding and storing fish hooks and lures and more particularly pertains to a pocket holder for snelled fish hooks which may be adapted for holding and storing fish hooks with leaders in a simple pocket-sized folder whereby the hook points are covered for safety and the leader lines are secured to prevent kinking and tangling while simultaneously allowing easy removal of the hook without interfering with other stored hooks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices for holding and storing fish hooks and lures is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for holding and storing fish hooks and lures heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of holding fish hooks in a safe and readily available manner are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for holding fish hooks in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
The prior art discloses a snelled hook, fly, and lure older as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,433 to Jones which consists of rigid fiberglass pages contained in a looseleaf type binder. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,182,878 to Clark and 4,186,511 to Slacter both describe fish lure holders and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,584 to Raley discloses a modular fish lure holder. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a pocket holder for snelled fish hooks. The Jones patent shows a rather complex device not suited for carrying in a shirt pocket. None of the inventions disclosed in the Clark, Slacter, or Raley patents show a way to secure the leader to prevent tangling and kinking.
U.S. Pat. No. 252,336 to Grippi, Jr., showing a fish hook and leader holder, is included for general interest.
In this respect, the pocket holder for snelled fish hooks according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of holding and storing fish hooks with leaders in a simple pocket-sized folder whereby the hook points are covered for safety and the leader lines are secured to prevent kinking and tangling while simultaneously allowing easy removal of the hook without interfering with other stored hooks.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new pocket holder for snelled fish hooks which can be used for holding and storing fish hooks with leaders in a simple pocket-sized folder whereby the hook points are covered for safety and the leader lines are secured to prevent kinking and tangling while simultaneously allowing easy removal of the hook without interfering with other stored hooks. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to develop devices for holding fish hooks in a safe and readily available manner. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.